DIY Bitter Apple Spray

08•12•16

This is the easiest DIY around. In fact, I almost feel guilty calling it a DIY, but here goes…

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First, two big questions:

Why use DIY bitter apple spray?

Whenever someone asks me how to get their puppy to stop chewing something, this is the recipe I pass along. It’s a phenomenal spray deterrent. But please pay attention to the instructions if you’re going to use it on any wood. I mean, pay attention to the instructions regardless but ESPECIALLY for wood.

Secondly, if your dog has a chewing/licking problem, something skin-related or a small wound that he just won’t leave alone (EMMETT) then this is the thing for you. I’ll get into the whys of it all below, but just know that chew deterrent also means for self-chewing, not just furniture/drywall (COOPER).

Why homemade? Can’t you just buy it?

Yep, you sure can. There are actually several brands on the market. But here’s the thing: You’ll spend way more money on a store-bought bitter apple spray than on a DIY version. Plus, even though most say that the ingredients are harmless, I don’t feel awesome spraying rubbing alcohol (a common commercial spray ingredient) since I know that they’ll lick it at least a few times. Also, it takes less than two minutes to make–seriously–so, why not?

Let’s make it, shall we?

Here’s what you need:

white vinegar

apple cider vinegar (don’t bother with the fancy kind that all the health food sites tout… seriously, that is $15+ for 16 ounces when you can get this huge one for way less)

water

a measuring cup

something to put the spray in (I used this bottle that I use to spritz plants, but in my quest to swap plastic items, I’ve been dreaming of these glass bottles.)

Optional:

funnel

lemons (effectiveness depends on whether or not your dog likes the taste of lemon EMMETT)

Here’s how to do it:

Decide on the quantity you want. In the case of my ingredients photoed above, my goal was to spray Emmett’s abdomen, which he’s been licking incessantly ever since his, ahem, problem.

The goal is to have a 2:1 ratio of white vinegar to apple cider vinegar. Using the one-cup measuring cup, I poured in 2/3 cup of the white vinegar then topped it to the cup line with apple cider vinegar. Using the funnel (I’m so messy… you could do without the funnel, probably… me? not so much) I poured it slowly into the spray bottle.

Here’s where you have a couple options.

First, if you want to round out the sour taste, squeeze a lemon and pour the juice in. Shake the bottle. Apply. HOWEVER, some dogs like lemons. Emmett is one of those dogs, so I skip the lemon juice altogether. Why entice him to lick it, ya know?

Second, if you want to apply it directly to your dog–or to anything wooden that the intense acidity of the vinegar might mar–dilute with water. My go-to is to add the same amount of water as white vinegar, so another 2/3 cup here.

{{Digression re: the wood furniture question. I use vinegar to clean almost my entire house and have never had a problem with wood finishes. That said, we don’t have nice things. No antiques. No carvings or whatever, so if something DID get ruined–which can happen–I wouldn’t be upset. Test a small spot on the back or underside if you’re worried.}}

That’s seriously it! Mix it up, pour it in a bottle, shake, spray!

What does Emmett think of the scent? Well…

“What is this stuff? Is it food?”

“OH! BLECH! AH! ICK! Get away, Newt! I think this stuff’s toxic!”

“I can still taste it! It’s in my mouth! Blergh!”

“Why would you do this to me… why…”

OK, he’s actually fine, of course, but he was SO DRAMATIC with this batch. Clearly it does the trick. Just a little spray on the problem area, and chewing is deterred. You will have to reapply, of course, and if you add the lemon juice I’d go ahead and store it in the fridge.

I hope it helps! Please do let me know! And if there are any specific products you’re interested in replacing with a DIY, please, please share! There are TONS that I make that I never really thought to share… this one was inspired by many different people asking me for chew-deterrent suggestions, and it finally occurred to me to turn it into a post! 🙂

Fantastic article! Thanks! One question … do you have any suggestions for a good smelling spray for the owners who want to spay it on their skin directly? I can’t imagine vinegar is that pleasant? Thanks kindly.

Could I ask would this sting an open wound? My little dog is 16 yrs old and now gets warts! She has one on her front paw that she has chewed and licks so it is reddish and am worried It will sting!
Thank you for this great remedy.
Kerry.

I clean my house with vinegar and often add lemon juice. If I have a cut on my hands, yes, it definitely stings. It sounds like if her skin is red, it might not be open yet, so maybe you could preempt that? Another idea: You could try diluting further with more water? Or, tbh, when I used it on Emmett, he never really seemed to notice the sting, though he’s the same dog who didn’t even flinch when he got staples at the vet’s office, so I’m not sure he’s a fair comparison… Best of luck with your little dog!!

First of all, Emmet is hilarious. Second, I actually clean our floors with an apple cider vinegar mixture because it’s non toxic and Herself is always eating things off the floor. It also means she’s not following me around while I’m cleaning, because she HATES the smell while its drying. Which is the best.

OMG, that FACE! I can hardly believe that Emmett had a look like that IN him! LOL
I would say that that indicated your spray did exactly what it should do. 🙂

I really could have used this when Maddie was a puppy. We bought the commercial brand, we bought “Yuck” and several other brand names that were all supposed to deter chewing. Nothing worked.
. In one afternoon, while my brother slept, Maddie very carefully chewed up the LEFT shoe ONLY from THREE pairs of identical rubber, summer shoes,, leaving me with NO wearable shoes. for that summer.That was the year of our discontent. She was the sweetest dog, but I swore off puppies after that She was two at the time, and had long been left out in the house with her two brothers with NO problems.Oh, the JOYS of puppyhood!

HAH! Leslie, I am on the same page. After Cooper’s puppyhood… I’ve said to a couple people that I am just not a puppy person. They’re adorable, but that’s about all they have going for them! 😉 (It’s fair to say, though, that Cooper was a particularly challenging puppy. But. Still.)

I’ve tried a recipe similar to this on Milah. I think she may have other allergies that I can’t find. She just licks this off, which isn’t unusual for her. I use an essential oil blend with lemongrass for flea repellent, she just licks it off too….LOL

OK, so my modification for that is not for the faint of heart. In truth, this was the Lucas solution: mix up the same recipe as above, but add in a healthy dash of cayenne… It may cause a sneeze or two, but it did the trick for him. 😉

Awesome, thanks for sharing! I’m always on the lookout for diy things with more natural ingredients; this holds true for everything from household cleaners and polishers (I use vinegar, baking soda and olive oil) to products for our beloved canine kids. Thanks again!

Same here, Monica!! I try to DIY as much as I can with ingredients I know. These guys (and our cat, in particular) lick their fur so much that I don’t want them ingesting chemicals. Yuck! Thanks so much for your comment!!

Love the dramatics! My crew is all about the drama, so I’m sure I’ll get the same reaction. Once in a while the girls get obsessed with licking a spot so this would be really great for that. I’m going to pin it for future reference!

I use plain ol’ white, distilled vinegar and hot water to clean the house, especially the linoleum floors in the bathroom and kitchen. And the vacuum (with the furniture hose attachment) for the dust. My crazy dogs actually like the smell of lemons, though I’ve never seen them actually taste it. I have a small spray bottle of the Nature’s Miracle chew deterrent that Ducky turns away from, but without the drama.

I love the expression on Emmett’s face!! Kinda reminds me of myself. ?

Thanks a lot for this tip it helps a lot I’m going to try this i have a new dog that gets a little crazy then gets into a lot of trouble. Does it work the same for small dogs as it does for big dogs ? And since you seem like a such good blogger i was wondering if you could check out my blog? edgeofamoment.blogspot.com Thank you

I’ve tried a recipe similar to this on Milah. I think she may have other allergies that I can’t find. She just licks this off, which isn’t unusual for her. I use an essential oil blend with lemongrass for flea repellent, she just licks it off too….LOL

Bless you, I have a stubborn maligator that has decided to chew her elbows bloody for whatever reason as well as her ankles. We’ve ruled out fleas and allergies, so maybe it’s just a nervous habit she picked up while she was boarding. We’re hoping this will give her a chance to heal now. Thank you!

Just tried the vinegar / apple cider mix and my dog just licked it straight away 🙁 Then tried it again with plenty of cayenne pepper in it and once again – licked it !! She’s only a little thing but seems to have OCD licking of her paw which in turn is causing some sort of medical problem. Was thinking of using some oil, maybe eucalyptus or tea tree oil – anyone know if these might work?

Oh, no!! I have heard of the rare dog who likes the taste. Maybe try black pepper instead of cayenne? As for the oils, I don’t know. I haven’t tried or researched anything like that, but perhaps someone else can weigh in with their experience!!

I’m fairly certain I’ve only ever used this on sealed wood, so I can’t say for sure. It depends on the type of wood, whether it’s sealed or not, if it’s painted, etc. My suggestion would be to whip up a batch and test it on a super inconspicuous spot (maybe the very top edge?) before using it anywhere else.

Is this safe on plants? I can’t get my cat to stop chewing on plants. Normally I would just get rid of the plant, but these plants have sentimental value as they were gift from relatives that passed. And some of the plants are I believe are upsetting his tummy. I tried cayenne pepper in the soil which seem to bring on a mold on the top of the soil. They did avoid it though. But it is not an option going forward.

Regarding tea tree oil–
Actually, essential oils of tea tree and lavender are the ONLY oils that are safely applied “neat”–which means undiluted, on the skin.
That is for HUMANS anyway.
I am not trained in use of essentail oils for animals–obviously things can affect them differently than they do humans.
But I have used both esential oils of tea tree and lavender on my animals–in very small–VERY SMALL–amounts, and have noticed no negative effects.
I use them for fungal infections, antibiotic purposes, itching–and lavender is specific for itching, burns, inflammation, calming.
From my own training and research I will say that aromatherapists and herbalists alike will tell you–when in doubt, use lavender.
My own experience is that tea tree oil is right behind.
THAT IS THE ADVICE OF PRACTITIONERS ON HUMANS.
I have used them for my pets.
But I am NOT telling you to do this.
I think that you should ask your vet, use your intuition, do your own research…
Thank you for your great recipe and help!
Best wishes and brightest blessings to all!

Granted this is the first time I’ve tried putting anything like this on my dog and he will be 11 human years old in a few days. There is a spot on his back and all over his front legs he licks so much, his coat is turning a blood-ish red color. I didn’t try the cayenne pepper or lemon, only the white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and water in the 2:1:2 ratio respectively. Unfortunately, he is licking more than ever. Trying to get it off, I assume. It almost seems like it is an attractant to him.

Great post about the diy bitter apple! This works well for my girl because she looooves chewing my wires. She’s going to be electrocuted one of these days!!

For those who are concerned with licking GO TO A VET. Many essential oils are toxic and can cause neurologic and/or organ disease. If you don’t like traditional western medicine, there are Chinese medicine/homeopathic vets as well.

Working in the field as a vet tech for 8 years I cannot tell you enough about the value of an e-collar (cone of shame) to stop itching. Get one large enough to go an inch past their nose when all the way down their neck. Pop it on for 7 days without removing it even at night. I promise they can eat, drink, sleep, pee, and poo with it on. They like to throw a fit for 2-3 days, but it passes. This gives a really good period for healing, especially with anxiety/nervous tick licking. Breaks the cycle.

what is the permanence of the solution? I need to spray this on my outdoor irrigation lines (1/2″ black poly tubing that delivers water to my 1/3 acre property). Although it does not rain in my area for the entire summer , when the dogs do their biting of the tubes, I have read elsewhere this needs to be applied weekly. Given that I have hundreds of feet of this tubing, I am seeking a solution that I can spray on once for the summer.

Hi, Larry: To be honest, I doubt it’s very permanent. I’m not sure how it would hold up under all-day sun, and it would definitely wash away in the rain. For a long-term solution, my guess would be that you’d probably have to either sink the lines or maybe cover them with chicken wire or something. I can’t think of a spray product that could survive an entire summer without re-application, but I’m certainly not an expert in any of this! Just my two cents! Good luck finding your solution!